It doesn't feel like the 2023 SEA Games have even started. The largest sports event in Southeast Asia is able to attract millions of pairs of eyes. The reason is, with so many sports being contested, various groups will certainly be interested in watching it.
Along with the increasing sophistication of the times, many contemporary sports have finally emerged. They no longer rely on physicality in general like most conventional sports.
One form of modern sports is electronic sports or also known as electronic sports (abbreviated as e-sport). As many know, this type of sport generally relies on digital media as an intermediary.
But of course this term refers to the context of gaming activity in the competitive realm. Yes, gamers compete for dexterity to find who is the greatest.
This fever spread to various parts of the world, including in Asia, especially the southeast. Various official and major sporting events have finally started to include this sport as the subjects that are contested. Likewise SEA Games.
Of the many branches of existing e-sport competitions, one of them is of course a tournament Free Fire. Yes, this one game is so popular in Indonesia and the surrounding countries. Naturally, in the end they also competed in several Sea Games events.
Also read: The Area of All Free Fire Maps You Should Know
Development of e-Sports in the SEA Games
E-sport has become part of many global sports events and is inseparable from the rapid development of this industry in all parts of the world. There are billions of enthusiastic and passionate fans out there.
For the Southeast Asian region itself, the SEA Games as the largest multi-country sports event has included several e-sports branches in its competition.
At the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, for example, the e-sport that was contested was Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, Tekken 7, Starcraft II, and Hearthstone. This involvement received a positive response from the community.
With the recognition of an official competition event that is parallel to other sports, this provides fresh air for the players and loyal fans of the gaming industry.
It is only natural that this sport will finally appear again at the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam. Some of the competitions are League of Legends: Wild Rift, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, Tekken 7, PUBG Mobile and, not to forget, Free Fire.
The e-sports branch at the SEA Games is one of the most anticipated by the public because the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of several other sports. However, with the digital characteristics of e-sports, the pandemic is not an obstacle.
E-sport matches at the SEA Games have the same rules and regulations as other sports. Participants must meet the eligibility criteria set and be tested for their skills in matches against participants from other countries.
Also read: Best Free Fire Skin Recommendations, Easy to Get!
Free Fire Doesn't Exist in SEA Games 2023
So, when talking about the Free Fire contest at the SEA Games in 2023, it turns out that Free Fire is not participating again in Vicigers!
Of course this is very unfortunate, considering that at the last SEA Games, Indonesian representatives were able to contribute gold.
Reporting from the statement of Raja Sapta Oktohari as President of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) as the institution that oversees the participation of Indonesian representatives in the SEA Games, explaining the reasons for the absence of Free Fire in the competition.
“SEAGF decision. All the numbers that we have a lot of gold, none of them invented. Including other numbers, such as shooting, such as archery," he said detikINET.
Also read: 10 Free Fire Generator Diamond Applications 2023
This is of course a sad thing for Free Fire fans. But don't worry, you can support the National Team from other sports!